Hydraulic Fracturing: History of an Enduring Technology

Hydraulic Fracturing Editor’s note: In 2006, SPE honored nine pioneers of the hydraulic fracturing industry as Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing. Claude E. Cooke Jr., Francis E. Dollarhide, Jacques L. Elbel, C. Robert Fast, Robert R. Hannah, Larry J. Harrington, Thomas K. Perkins, Mike Prats, and H.K. van Poollen were recognized as instrumental in developing new technologies and contributing to the advancement of the field through their roles as researchers, consultants, instructors, and authors of ground-breaking journal articles. Following is an excerpt from SPE’s new Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing CDROM, which contains an extended overview of the history of the technology, list of more than 150 technical…